Emiliano Madriz

Emiliano Madriz
Supreme Director of Nicaragua
In office September 26, 1844 – January 24, 1845
Preceded by	Manuel Pérez
Succeeded by	Blas Antonio Sáenz
Personal details
Born	c. 1800 León, Captaincy General of Guatemala
Died	January 24, 1845 León, Nicaragua
Nationality	Nicaraguan

Emiliano Madriz (León, Nicaragua, c. 1800 – León, Nicaragua, January 24, 1845) was a liberal Nicaraguan lawyer and politician who served as acting Supreme Director of Nicaragua from September 26, to December 26, 1844, and as the interim Supreme Director until January 24, 1845. From January 20 he served in León alongside Blas Antonio Sáenz and José León Sandoval in Masaya against Silvestre Selva Sacasa, who was appointed by Salvadoran President Francisco Malespín, who was leading an Invasion of Nicaragua at the time.

As Acting Supreme Director

In the 1844 elections, none of the candidates obtained the constitutionally required votes to hold the position of Supreme Director, so the Legislative Assembly appointed the senator Manuel Pérez, based in León, which was a stronghold of liberalism, to a Central American level.

The General Commander of Arms, Casto Fonseca, was one of the main supporters of liberalism in Central America, this caused concern in the conservative politicians mainly based in Granada, and the rivalry between both cities increased, when Managua's council decided to move from the jurisdiction policy of Granada towards the political jurisdiction of León. Conservatives from Granada feared that Managua would be controlled militarily by Fonseca, and that the leaders of Leonese liberalism would be a threat to them.

On October 25, 1844, Salvadoran President Francisco Malespín, handed over the presidency to his vice president, Joaquín Eufrasio Guzmán, and the Command of the Army, to his brother Calixto Malespín, and began leading his troops towards Nicaragua, with support from the Honduran Government, under Francisco Ferrera, as well as military support under José Santos Guardiola.

Manuel Pérez, Supreme Director of the State, lacking the prestige that the occasion required, submitted his resignation, and on September 26, 1844, Madriz, a member of the Legislative Assembly based in León, was appointed interim Supreme Director of Nicaragua.

Guerra de Malespín

Bust of Malespín in the University of El Salvador.

Beginning of The War

On November 26, the combined Armies of El Salvador and Honduras, known as the "Ejército Protector de la Paz" under the supreme command of Malespín and with Guardiola as second in command, are confronted by the few troops of Fonseca, concentrated in León, who is besieged.

The Granadans offered their support to Fonseca when he was besieged in León, under a pact to improve the regime; but the "Grand Marshal" replied that the government did not agree with rebels, that the Granadans should proceed as they saw fit, that he reserved giving them the punishment they deserved. The people of Granada had to arrange with Malespín to depose Fonseca's military absolutism as soon as possible. Initially, about 400 Matagalpa archers enlisted in the defense of León against the invading army, but due to the mistreatment they received from the liberal "Grand Marshal" and the breaking of the liberal-conservative alliance, they joined the occupying forces.

Attempted Peace Negotiations

To avoid war, peace negotiations began on November 21 at the "Satoca" hacienda located southeast of Somotillo. The Nicaraguan negotiators were Hermenegildo Zepeda Fernández and Gerónimo Carcache. The bases of the negotiations being in León, but they were categorically rejected.

The first battles were disastrous for the attackers and the Hondurans began to withdraw, but Malespín convinced them to stay in combat, but commander Manuel Quijano y García and 64 dragoons had already deserted León.

On December 1, the peace negotiations resumed. The Nicaraguan delegates were Canon Desiderio Cortés and Anselmo Alarcón, representing León, José Francisco del Montenegro, Granada and Juan Ruiz, Rivas. Malespín insisted on imposing onerous conditions and the Leonese delegates withdrew.

Provisional Government in Masaya

The differences between the Nicaraguans surfaced and the conservatives from Granada abandoned the liberals in León and on December 8 they sought support from the invading leader. Thus, Granada sided with Malespin, followed by Rivas.

The Granadans moved the Legislative Assembly to Masaya, where on December 16, 1844, Silvestre Selva Sacasa, a senator of the Legislative Assembly, was appointed Provisional Supreme Director, without the consent of León under siege. José María Estrada was appointed General Minister.

The most humiliating part of this arrangement was when the eastern and southern departments recognised Malespin as "Protector of Nicaraguans" and General Commander of Arms of the "Ejército Protector de la Paz", including one organized by those departments, until the end of war.

On January 20, 1845, Blas Antonio Sáenz was appointed interim Supreme Director in dissidence based in Masaya. Malespin appointed José Trinidad Muñoz as General Commander of Arms.

León's site

Some officers believed that Casto Fonseca, though brave, was not competent enough to make a proper defense. José María Valle, "El Chelon", suggested that Fonseca hand over command to José Trinidad Cabañas. Fonseca considered the suggestion an insult, and consequently Valle withdrew and Cabañas became an object of suspicion for Fonseca. Faced with Fonseca's ineptitude and intransigence, Madriz, who became Supreme Director, commanded the defenses of León, which had to withstand 59 days of siege. The defense of Sutiava was entrusted to Gerardo Barrios who organized it for the resistance against the siege led by Malespín.

A shipment of weapons for the Leonese, on a ship docked at the port of El Realejo in the department of Chinandega, accidentally fell into the hands of the occupying forces (Malespin actually obtained information from the Englishman Manning, an agent of Selva's government). Among the captured armament were 1,000 muskets and 200 rifles, in addition to 200 barrels of gunpowder, 200 quintals of lead, and 12,000 flints.

Sutiava Fire

On January 22, 1845, with the weapons, Manuel Quijano y García and Ramón Belloso, set fire to and occupied Sutiava, It was the Matagalpa archers who set fire to the straw houses of Sutiava allowing the advance towards León that on January 24 was occupied with the subsequent lootings.

Death

Malespín not only executed prominent citizens of Leonese society at the time, including the Minister General, Crescencio Navas; he also allowed his troops to abuse the civilian population by raping women and stealing religious treasures from churches and houses as payment for "war expenses". The only house exempt from looting was Manning's.

He also ordered to raid the atrium of the chapel San Juan de Dios, and the execution of priest Dionisio Urcuyo y Crespín, for defending the sick who were being massacred in the hospital Santa Catarina Mártir of which he was chaplain being parish priest of the church Saint John the Baptist of Sutiaba. A commemorative plaque was placed on the wall of the atrium where Father Crespin was shot.

Canon Desiderio Cortés was also shot. The liberal leaders, Cabañas and Barrios, managed to leave for El Salvador, thus escaping Malespín's thirst for revenge.

Later, Malespín was excommunicated on February 23, 1845, by Jorge de Viteri y Ungo, his godfather and Bishop of San Salvador.

In honor of his determined defense of León as Supreme Director, the end of Madriz's administration was set until January 24, 1845, the date on which he was shot by direct order of Malespín.